Vaughan Richardson facts for kids
Vaughan Richardson was a talented musician who lived a long time ago. He was an organist, which means he played the organ, a very big musical instrument. He also wrote music, especially for churches. He lived in England and was active in the late 1600s and early 1700s. He passed away in 1729.
Life Story
We don't know exactly when Vaughan Richardson was born. But we do know that he sang as a young boy. He was a chorister, a singer in a church choir. He sang at the special event where King James II became king in 1685. This was at the Chapel Royal, a famous choir in England.
After that, Vaughan helped out at Worcester Cathedral. He filled in for the main organist there from 1686 to 1688. Then, in 1693, he became the official organist at Winchester Cathedral. He also had other important roles there. He was a lay vicar, which is a type of church official. He was also the master of the choristers, meaning he led the choir boys. He stayed at Winchester Cathedral for the rest of his life.
On October 5, 1710, he married a woman named Mrs. Apleford. Their wedding took place at Winchester Cathedral. Vaughan Richardson died in 1729 in Winchester. He was buried there on May 9. He had a daughter named Laetitia who survived him.
His Music
Vaughan Richardson wrote many pieces of music. He was known for his church music.
- He composed 21 anthems. Anthems are special songs sung by a choir. Some of his anthems still exist today as old handwritten copies. Two of his famous anthems are "O Lord, God of my salvation" and "O how amiable."
- In 1701, he released a collection of songs called A Collection of New Songs. This collection included a special song for Saint Cecilia. She is the patron saint of music. This song was called "Ye tuneful and harmonious choir."
- He also wrote a special piece of music called a Service in C. He wrote this in 1713 to celebrate the Treaty of Utrecht. This treaty was an important agreement that ended a big war in Europe.
